Directed By Jaime Babbit. Written By Micah Schraft and Abdi Nazemian

Elisha Cuthbert (Nina Deer)
Martin Donovan (Paul Deer)
Edie Falco (Olivia Deer)
Shawn Ashmore (Connor)
Katy Mixon (Michelle Fell)
Camilla Belle (Dot)

To me, the ending of Jaime Babbit's "The Quiet" is a rather odd bird as far as last acts are concerned. For one thing, every player in the cast seems to forget about the act of rage that Dot (Camilla Belle) perpetrated on a certain someone only a few scenes before. Considering the mess that Dot's impulsiveness ultimately created and the unforeseen consequences that arise from the aforementioned action.... it seems odd for Dot to utter the following line at the very end of the film; "the storm has passed."

To be fair, this isn't my only problem with "The Quiet." Call me a prude, but this film has a rather sexualized aura that seems rather gratuitous and extremely inappropriate. Simply put, the sexuality of "The Quiet" wades into a level bordering on creepiness when we learn what we learn about Nina (Elisha Cuthbert) and the true nature of her family's rather uneasy dynamic. To be honest, "The Quiet" is the kind of film where the characters use the "F" word in a brash, come hither kind of way. This is especially true of Nina's best friend Michelle (Katy Mixon.) The way Michelle talks, it seems like her one and only ambition in life is to experience the thrill of "instant gratification." I'm thinking about this one moment in "The Quiet," when Michelle (Mixon) seductively glances at her pal Nina (Cuthbert) while pondering the definition of a truly good kisser.

Again, I'm no prude. I'm all for interjecting a little sexuality into the proceedings... just not in THIS film. For one thing, the sub-text of the story doesn't lend itself to the element of heightened sexuality. This is especially true after we learn what we learn about Nina's father Paul (Martin Donovan.) Besides, the scene when Michelle flirts with Nina really doesn't serve a purpose in terms of the overall plot. Sexuality in film has its place, but it's an element that loses a certain something when it's introduced for the sake of being introduced.

Plot: Dot (Camilla Belle) is a mute who becomes an orphan after her father dies under mysterious circumstances. Dot isn't an orphan for very long though, thanks to the Ramsey family, Paul (Martin Donovan) and his wife Olivia (Edie Falco.) Of course, life isn't a cake walk for Dot. Nina (Elisha Cuthbert) is the Ramsey's daughter and she's also Dot's chief tormentor. Whenever possible Nina likes to draw attention to the fact that Dot can not speak. Later on in the film, Nina decides to use her adopted siblings handicap to her advantage. This is the point where Nina reveals some rather dicey secrets about her family to Dot. As Nina explains it... "it's like I'm revealing something and NOT... revealing something all at the same time." Shortly there after, Dot is taken into confidence by a jock named Connor (Shawn Ashmore.) Connor runs with Nina's popular crowd but like Nina, has a few secrets he needs to unburden himself from. Having to process all of this highly disturbing and confidential info, Dot reaches a point where she finally cracks. This leads us to the last act, when Dot finally implodes. In the wake of her meltdown, Dot commits an act of brutality that sends the Deer family, secrets and all, tumbling down. 'I'll stop there, you can decipher the rest of the plot on your own.

Performances: Camilla Belle is the obvious stand out here. Her role as Dot reminded me of 2006's Babel and a performance by an actress named Rinko Kikuchi. Like Belle, Kikuchi plays a mute character who has to guide us with her eyes and her face. Belle is asked to do the very same thing, allow the audience to use her eyes and her face as a window of sorts. I would give the edge to Camilla Belle because she has to be a non verbal guide for the audience for just over ninety minutes. I'm no actor but this seems like something that isn't easy to pull off. Camilla Belle definitely pulls it off and then some. The look that Camilla Belle gives to the camera when Nina starts sharing deep dark family secrets with her Belle's character Dot is absolutely spot on. If Nina told you what she told Dot, you'd have the same look on your face that Dot did. Trust me. I also have to give credit to Camilla Belle for not making Dot into a helpless victim. It's amazing how much complexity and how much determination she brings to a non verbal role. What we need from Camilla Belle is easy to find, it's as simple as studying her face or simply looking into her eyes.

I don't want to judge Elisha Cuthbert's performance as Nina to harshly. In her defense, the Nina role is rather one dimensional in nature. If Cuthbert isn't playing a coquette like Nina, she's playing a helpless victim... (See Captivity.) At some point, I hope that Cuthbert lands a role that will either prove her worth as an actress or forever define her as yet another throwaway actress with a pretty face and an endless supply of curves.

Martin Donovan (The Adventures Of Sebastian Cole) is saddled with a role that really has no upside to it; no matter how well it's played. It's the same issue I had with the writers of a film called "Joshua," the fact that we're dealing with a character who has already been pre defined. As soon as we meet Paul Deer (Donovan) we know that we're not going to like him and we know all about his overly intense persona. A persona that has a certain sense of creepiness lurking beneath the surface. This is no fun for the audience, the fact that we aren't being given the chance to seize up Donovan's character.

Final Thoughts: This is a thriller/mystery with the trashy sensibilities of good old Joe Ezterhaus. In fact, the smoldering sense of sexuality in "The Quiet" is rather "Basic Instinct" ish. When you see the finished product movie fans, you'll know why this films emphasis on sexuality is the wrong choice. If writers Micah Schraft and Abdi Nazemian wanted to create a sexualized thriller they should've reworked the screen story first. Reworking the screen story would've gone a long way towards lessening the creepiness factor.

Recommended:
No

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age